What Happens in Vegas...After Dark (20 page)

From the backseat, William watched her. Eyes shielded by dark sunglasses, the music pounding, her face was a mask of severe concentration. Now he knew where he got that air of danger before. She was a dangerous being. And he liked it. Holy shit, she was hot when she got all tough. Who knew he had some secret fetish for tough women?

She’d been right. He should have stayed back at the hotel, but he couldn’t bear to let her go, not knowing what would happen to her. That was something they’d have to deal with if they meant to make this thing between them work. The distance would be an issue, as well, but it wasn’t that far and they’d make it happen. He wasn’t going to just let her go, not now that he’d found her.

She was a damned good driver and clearly the car had been modded. He noted the reinforced roll bars even as he fantasized about fucking her again, this time by candlelight and with no interruptions. Sometimes a man had to multitask.

“Okay,” she finally spoke as they slowed and she turned the music off, “I mean it, William, you have to listen. I can’t…I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to you so you need to stay here. Do you know how to use a weapon?”

She took a side street when they approached the entrance to a gated community, looking at some notes she’d taken.

“Um, yes. I’m not an Olympic gold medalist with a rifle or anything, but I know how to use a handgun.”

She stopped at a cul-de-sac in a new development, pulling up next to a rental car where a muscular man with very short, pale blond hair got out. A sliver of jealousy worked through him as he noted the concern on the other man’s face and Nell’s smile at him. It was the man he’d seen her with at the Dollhouse right after they’d had sex the first time.

She got out and William followed.

“Wil iam, this is Galen.” They shook hands and looked each other over warily. “He’s staying in the car. I’ll leave him a weapon and a phone.” She turned back to William and pul ed a handgun out, handing it to him. “The clip is full. When you get in the car, I’m going to do something to it so you won’t be easily seen and hopefully the shade of the houses and these trees will keep you cool, as wel . Water in the trunk. If we’re not back in an hour, take this car back to the city and someone wil contact you.”

Fear, real true fear for her safety shocked him into realizing what he felt was beyond what he’d imagined. Yes, he’d said he loved her, but this was striking. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.

So he nodded and grabbed her, delivering a hard, possessive kiss. “You’d better get back here, Nell. You don’t have my permission to get hurt.”

She smiled and kissed his forehead. “Gotcha, tough guy. If anyone does see you and asks what you’re doing here, you’re a developer. You’re supreme with the bullshit—I’m sure you’ll work it out.” Making a waving motion, she ushered him back into the car and then stood back. The air around them shimmered a moment and then he watched her walk away with the other dude at her side.

“Stupid to have brought him.”

She looked at Galen as they circled the long way around the giant gated community. “I know.”

“Are you centered?”

She stopped and then boosted herself up and over the fence easily. “You’re a dick. You think his cooties will mess with my mind?” She bent, looking in between nearby cars to see the supermansion just up the street where the mages had gone. “Maybe I’ll have to take breaks to write his name on my binder?”

“Fine, fine. Made your point.”

They walked closer, snug up against the house next door and she opened herself up to use her othersight. “Five people inside. One human, four mages. Let’s try not to hurt anyone. Or not hurt them too bad anyway. I want to bring her back to Seattle today.”

She stood and they fanned out, Galen circling around the back of the house, using his magic to short out the security cameras.

Nell went to the front door and with a wave of her hand, the locks disengaged. Much to the surprise of the two men in the front hallway.

“Why, hello there! I’m Nell Hunter, I expect you probably know my name, but in case not, I’m the hunter for the Owen Clan. As you might imagine, my boss is not pleased you’ve absconded with our money. That makes me very sad, boys.” She gave them an exaggerated pout and then shot her magic at them, knocking them both down.

“Did you think you could just come in here like this?”

Nell looked up, easily sidestepping the sizzle of magic sent her way. The air in the house hung heavy and wrong. “Oh, my. Well, look at you. Ben Healy, I wish I could say it was nice to see you, but I’d be lying. And why yes, I do think I can walk right in here. In fact, I did. Now, hand over your human lackey and our money.” She tossed some magic his way, but he blocked it. Ben Healy had been a member of the Owen Clan. A natural witch with not a whole lot of ability, but quite of bit of ambition, he repudiated all they’d stood for and joined up with the mages.

“Nell Hunter, still a bitch I see.”

She moved up the stairs where he stood, shooting her magic to try and disable him and ducking his. Dimly she heard Galen shout in the background and the sound of breaking glass.

“I’m better than you. I’m cuter than you and darn it, people like me.” Nell huffed as she forwent her magic and threw a solid right hook to Ben’s jaw.

It knocked him back, sending him bouncing off a table. He scrambled to his feet and that’s when Nell saw Leah, cowering in a far corner. Ben ran at her, shoved Leah toward Nell and continued down the stairs.

“Fuck! Galen, get him!” Nell yelled and caught Leah by the upper arm and hauled her down the stairs toward the open front door.

A squeal of tires and the sight of a car racing out of sight greeted her as she got there.

Galen came running back.

“You got two of them, I got another. Was that Ben Healy?”

“Yes. Forget it for now. Let’s get Alex in here to clean up. You stay behind and supervise. I’ll be taking this piece of shit back home.”

“I have rights! You can’t just take me like this.” Leah struggled, but she was shorter than Nell, petite and while she might have been good at ripping people off, Nell was better at keeping them in line.

“I can do anything I want and you’d best remember that. I am Owen Clan and you have stolen from us. You’ll face our justice. Now come on and shut up or I’ll have to deal with you in an unpleasant fashion.”

Galen got off the phone and turned back to her. “Alex is on the way. I’ll stay here. The mages are al incapacitated. Get her back.” He paused. “Do you want me to get William back to town?”

She sighed. “I don’t know. Hang on here with her. I’ll be back with the cars in a few.”

Nell shoved Leah into Galen’s grasp and jogged back to where she’d jumped the fence.

W illiam made himself try and rein in his impatience as the plane taxied down the runway in Seattle. It’d been two weeks since he’d last seen Nell and he’d been dying without her.

The last time he’d seen her, she’d come around the corner after being gone for forty-five minutes and he’d let out a breath. He’d been terrified, every minute feeling like an hour since she’d walked out of his sight.

It had been harder seeing Leah and not slapping her. But as he told her with some satisfaction, as he’d watched Nell load her into the back of the car, she’d brought Nell into his life and for that, he’d be thankful.

He hadn’t been thankful to stay in Vegas while Nell hightailed it back to Seattle, but he had to get some coverage in place so he could visit her and she had to do whatever the hell she did with Leah. He found he didn’t actually care what happened to Leah. Trusted she’d been brought to whatever justice the Clan had and that she hadn’t been hurt. Nell was a warrior, but she wasn’t a thug.

Finally, they were able to get off the damned plane and he hurried toward baggage claim where she’d be waiting.

Every afternoon before he went into work, he called to check in. It was during those cal s when he’d really come to know Nell. Appreciate her sense of humor, which ran toward Monty Python and Lewis Black. He respected her sharp mind and the openness with which she let him poke at this connection they had without being defensive.

Every night as he’d locked up, the weight of what he felt for her coupled with her absence bore down on him, making it hard to breathe. And she’d be there, a message on his voice mail, the sound of her soothing the ache of her absence.

Her hair was the first thing he saw as she towered over most of the people standing around. And then he noticed the pale blue dress, the long legs and those green, green eyes.

He went straight to her, into her arms, and breathed in deep as he arrived in the place he’d needed to be but had circled aimlessly his whole life.

Her fingers slid into his hair and her mouth pressed the side of his neck. “You’re here.”

“There’s no other place I’d rather be.”

He kissed her, softly, almost chastely as they grabbed his bag and headed to her car.

“It’s beautiful here.” But he only looked at her.

“The mountain is out today. Nice weather. After we have sex for a few hours I figure we might actually do some sightseeing. On the way to my parents’ house for dinner and all.” She chewed her bottom lip as they took a big hill and she pulled into a driveway.

The house was simple. Not overly big. Greenery exploded all over the landscape.

Butterfly bushes, flowers of all hues, planters full of all manner of living things hung from the trees and along the pretty front porch. Mount Rainier took up the horizon.

“This is amazing.” He hadn’t imagined her to be a gardener, but she’d talked about doing some planting at some point the week before. “I’ve underestimated you.”

She laughed and opened the front door. “My brother did most of the work. He’s amazing with green stuff. But I like to get out and work in the dirt. It’s a way to relax, I suppose. Our power, my magic, comes from the earth.” A blush bloomed on her cheeks.

“Give me the tour.” He held out a hand, and she took it.

“Are you nervous?” he asked.

She cleared her throat. “I guess I am. I…” She flapped her hands around, not quite knowing how to say she didn’t know if he still loved her, but would break into a thousand pieces if he didn’t.

Instead, she looked at him. Took in his face, the beard stubble she thought was so sexy, the curve of his bottom lip, and sighed, smiling.

“Living room.” Dragging him outside to the deck she paused. It was a gorgeous day, one of those perfect Seattle days that made living in the Northwest such a joy. Warm. The air smelled rich with living things. Bees hummed, birds sang, everything was vibrant with color and the sky was so blue it hurt to look at overlong. “The backyard.”

She showed him the newly remodeled kitchen and her home office and at last came her bedroom where she’d dithered and dithered until Meriel had taken pity on her and shown up with fifteen huge bags of bedding and other decorative crap for the room. She’d stayed the weekend and had helped her make it just right for William.

“I like it in here.” He slowly turned in a circle. “Red and gold, it works for you. Regal, but old-school. Strong.” Reaching to her, he pulled her close. “I’ve missed you. I never imagined I could miss a person as much as I missed you.”

The knot inside her loosened. “Me, too.”

“So tell me what’s wrong and why you’re nervous. Do you…have you changed your mind? About us?”

He looked so lost for a moment she touched his face. “No. I guess I was worried you’d changed your mind or maybe once you got back to your club surrounded by wil ing and normal women you’d start to think I was a mistake.” She wasn’t used to being anything but totally confident; it was disconcerting.

He smiled. “Ah, yes. I did say that normal thing. But in al fairness it was before I appreciated the spice of unique. And now everything else is bland. You’re all I want, Nell.

I don’t know how we’re going to make this work with the distance. But we will because I simply can’t imagine my life without you with me.”

He kissed her and freed of her panic, she ripped at his shirt, pulling it off and kissing down his neck.

“Take your time. I’m here. I’m yours. We have al the time in the world.” He grinned.

“I need you, Wil iam. I’ve masturbated so much it’s not funny and nothing helps. I’ve been so lonely without you.”

He groaned. “Way to torment me.”

“I’m not trying to torment you. I’m all about gratification.” She untied the halter of her dress and let it fall to her feet. He bent and picked it up as she stepped out of it, bringing it to his face to inhale deeply. The gesture brought moisture to her pussy, hardened already-peaked nipples and warmed her all at once.

“God, you smell good. Good enough to eat. I’ve missed your scent so damned much.”

She closed her eyes a moment at the words, loving them, loving him as she divested him of shoes, socks, pants and underwear.

“Much better.” She grinned. “You really are too gorgeous for your own good.”

“Thank you. I think. Now,” he said, pushing her back on the bed. “I mentioned something about you smelling good enough to eat. I’d like to test that theory.” He smiled at her lazily and knelt between her thighs. The heat from his skin rose in waves along with his scent and she sighed, contented and aroused, stretching like a cat.

“Two weeks, Nell. Two weeks of sleeping alone and wishing like hell you were beside me.” He raised one leg, kissing her ankle and moving his lips down, bending both legs at the knee and holding her wide open. It left her breathless and feeling vulnerable and yet, totally adored as he looked for long moments at her pussy.

“Talk about being too beautiful for her own good.” His gaze shifted from her cunt to her face. “Arms above your head and hang on.”

An involuntary moan escaped as she followed his directions. Her eyes never left him as he settled and opened her up as widely as possible and then bent his head to taste her.

Shards of pleasure broke through her at the contact.